Atlanta – The Georgia #Not1More coalition today released a statement condemning the recent raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which targeted Central American women and children seeking asylum in this country. “It is deeply troubling for ICE to target mothers and children seeking refuge from persecution, murder, and torture in their home countries in Central America for deportation back to those same conditions and worse,” read the statement signed by more than fifty elected officials, faith, community, and labor leaders.

“I deplore these recent raids by ICE. How can they defend deporting women and children who fled for their lives from violence? Surely we should shelter those seeking refuge here from rape and murder. We call on ICE to stop these raids,” said State Senator Nan Orrock.

The signers called for ICE to immediately halt the raids and for the federal government to provide a fair process for asylum-seekers to pursue their claims. Representatives of the Georgia #Not1More coalition hailed the statement and further denounced the raids.

“Georgia community leaders are horrified by the raids targeting women and children seeking a safe haven in our state. Such tactics of intimidation and deception have no place in Georgia.” – Azadeh Shahshahani, Project South.

“We urge an independent investigation of the ICE office here to uncover and stop its abuses. It’s not a coincidence that the raids centered on Georgia where ICE agents are well practiced at intimidation tactics to get into our homes. We denounce the Obama Administration as it authorized, coordinated, and executed such actions against families who have been forced to flee horrible and violent conditions in their homelands.” – Adelina Nicholls, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR).

“The latest round of raids and intimidation from ICE is not new, and once again, the lives of immigrant families, refugees, mothers and children become nothing more than numbers in a national deportation quota. We are proud to stand with political and community leaders of this region and Georgia who say no more to these deportation-driven operations that sow fear where we see sanctuary and possibility. ” – Paulina Helm-Hernandez, Southerners On New Ground (SONG).

“We can all agree that mothers and children who have fled violence and oppression in their home countries to live and work in Georgia should not be made victims a second time by a rogue agency. The breadth of support for this statement shows that these raid tactics do not have the general support of our communities or our leaders and should stop immediately.” – Xochitl Bervera, Racial Justice Action Center.

“These women and children have fled from Central America to our nation for asylum and safety. Our political leaders need to welcome them into our nation with open arms instead of deporting them potentially to their deaths.” – Neil Sardana, Atlanta Jobs with Justice.